The Netherlands

Pair 1: Dario Tortorelli (Artist) and Fred Bax (Producer)

Dario Tortorelli is a choreographer/visual-artist based in The Netherlands. He develops visual and performing art projects under the name of diveinD. He graduated as a dancer in 1995 from the Brenda Hamlyn School in Florence. That same year he started his professional career as a dancer at the Jeune Ballet International Rosella Hightower in Cannes, and later joined as a soloist with Ballet de L’Opera de Nice. With this company, he danced in performances choreographed by renowned artists including Robert North, Nils Christe and Youri Vamos. In 2001, he moved to The Netherlands to dance for the company Introdans where he performed pieces by Twyla Tharp, Renato Zanella, Nicolas Musin, Lindsay Kemp and Nils Christe amongst others. Since 2004, he has been based in Rotterdam and working as a freelance dancer. In 2006, he worked for the first time with Ann Van den Broek in the production E19(richting San José) and continued working with Ann for I SOLO MENT (2008), We Solo Men (2009), Q61 (2011) and LIstEn&See (2011/12). In his work, Dario is in a constant search to develop his perfect image, a character called ROMEO HEART. His visual work develops from still pictures, flat as postcards, where the subject unnaturally moves within the frame of a disconnected background. His stage work has been defined as minimal, dark, surreal and cinematic.

Fred Bax has a background as a drama teacher and stage director working for various companies and art centres in the Netherlands, Flanders and Germany. Fred explored a more commercial course as an entertainment producer and project manager in the field of high-profile business events for several years. The process of developing a high standard performance is a combination of skills that Fred is known for in the industry. In 2011 and 2012, Fred was the executive producer for the bestselling opera-spectacle Orfeo ed Eurydice which was located by the Soestdijk royal palace lake. For the last six years he has been working as a multi-disciplined creative and executive producer..

Pair 2: Iván Pérez (Artist) and Joriene Blom (Producer)

Iván Pérez Avilés is a choreographer based in The Netherlands, acclaimed for his fluid, bright style and talent for establishing physical and emotional intensity. Iván has formerly danced with Netherlands Dance Theater (NDT) and IT Dansa and received his degree in Performing Arts from the University Rey Juan Carlos. He won the award for ‘Best Interpretation’ during the ‘International Choreography Competition’ New York-Burgos and was nominated for the ‘Swan best dancer’ for his role in Indigo Rose by Jiří Kylián (2006). In 2010, he received the award “Revelation Artist” by Cultura Viva Foundation in Madrid.

Since 2011, Iván has fully committed himself to his choreographic career. As an associate choreographer with the Dutch production house Korzo, he created the duet Kick the Bucket, Hide And Seek, Attention, the doors are closing! created in Moscow, and his most recent work Exhausting Space (2016). Iván has also created and re-staged works for international companies such as Compañía Nacional de Danza, Balletboyz, Ballet Moscow, Dance Forum Taipei, ZFinMalta Dance Ensemble and River North Dance Chicago. His works have been presented at venues such Sadler's Wells in London, the National Theatre of Taipei and the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago.

His work examines our relationship to reality. His work empowers performers to reveal both intention and emotion.

Joriene Blom delivers innovation and development in the performing arts. Together with clients, she builds a brand and identity, develops new concepts that connect to (new) audiences, builds relationships with financial partners and renews business models. Her company works on projects for theatres, festivals and companies in the cultural and creative sector. She also initiates projects with partners and writes about cultural entrepreneurship.

Before Joriene started her company in 2015, she was a fundraiser and concept developer for a theatre. She led on and delivered fundraising strategy. One of her concepts was the runner up in the ‘Gouden Struis’ competition in 2014 for the best marketing idea in the performing arts field in The Netherlands. In 2007, she gained her Honours degree in Arts and Economics at HKU University of the Arts, Utrecht. Alongside her degree, she also carried out producing work for theatre companies and festivals. In 2012, she successfully completed the course Brand Management for nonprofit organizations at UVA/IF Academy.

A new type of cultural entrepreneurship is central in all of Joriene’s work.

Pivot Dance is a project funded with the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union